Swimming pools come in many varieties for different uses, including swimming, wading, diving and playing. Both indoor and outdoor swimming pools are often heated so that the water temperature is comfortable for users of the pool. Conventional pool water heaters use gas fired furnaces or boilers to directly heat pipes carrying the pool water. Such conventional heaters are very inefficient, with typical efficiency being approximately 60%. Therefore, as an example, in order to obtain 800,000 net BTU's to heat the water, the burner would have to generate 1.4 million gross BTU's. The conventional furnace heaters are large and create a large footprint on the floor, thereby using valuable space in the pool filter or control room. For large pools, multiple heaters may be necessary, which increases the space utilization. Also, each burner is either on or off, which creates substantial inefficiencies if the water temperature only needs to be raised a small amount.
Start up of the pool each season with fresh water also causes adverse affects on the conventional combustion furnace heater. First, the fresh water generally is approximately 55° F. and flows through copper pipes extending through the heater. Due to the cold temperature of the water, condensation forms on the pipes, which then drips onto the burners in the fire box, resulting in incomplete combustion and creation of soot. The soot, which is acidic, then plugs the heat exchanger, which further decreases heating efficiencies. The controls for the heater senses the incomplete combustion, and calls for more heat, such that eventually the excess heat burns up the control system. The chlorine and other chemicals which are added to the fresh water also tends to decay the copper pipes internally, which are also attacked externally by the acidic soot.
Also, swimming pool boilers often have to meet certain code requirements in some municipalities. The requirements may add to the costs of installing and maintaining the pool heater systems.
Thus, conventional water heating furnaces for swimming pools have numerous problems.
A primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved non-pressurized water heating system for swimming pools which overcomes the problems of conventional pool heaters.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an indirect water heater for swimming pools, which operates at atmospheric pressure.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a pool heating system which has a plurality of small heating units which can be sequentially staged to actuate one or more units, as needed, and which is vented to the atmosphere.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a vented swimming pool heating system having improved efficiencies.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a swimming pool heating system which requires minimal floor space.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved swimming pool water heating system which does not run chlorinated pool water through the heater.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a modular swimming pool water heating system with a plurality of heaters which operate independently of one another.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision an improved swimming pool water heating system which is easy to use, efficient in operation, and has an extended operating life.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a pool heating system which is not classified as a boiler subject to municipality code requirements.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved swimming water heating system which meets all municipal code requirements.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of having a floor mounted heat exchanger which is not submerged in a surge pit.
These and other objectives become apparent from the following description of the invention.